CHRISTIAN’S HOPE~Ervin R. Stutzman

When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted.

Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian’s budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.

Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family—who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?

Christian’s Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family, Christian’s Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.

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My take on this book:

Christian's Hope by Ervin R. Stutzman isn't the typical Amish fiction that I am used to reading, and that is a good thing! I like that this book pulls the reader back to 1765 and deals with the issue of Christian being back home in his Amish community after having lived with a Native American family for several years, who actually raised him as their own son. This story comes to life as we see the struggles he faces in his community and the choices he must ultimately make. 

The third book in the Return to Northkill series it is based on actual events which really caught my attention and made me want to read it. Honestly when I picked up this book to read I didn't realize is was the last in a series, and while it took me awhile to understand the story line and the characters the author does provide enough information that I could follow the story. With that said I do want to go back and read the first two books because it's such a fascinating story. It takes place during the French and Indian Wars which is a time period that I always enjoy reading about. The historical aspects of this story was great because the author does a wonderful job of setting the time period which allowed me to become absorbed in the story. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to going back and reading the first two in the series. I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction based on fact should check this series out. A refreshing addition to the Amish genre. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.